California bill would outlaw reparative therapy for homosexuality for minors

April 30, 2012

A California state senator--Sen. Ted Lieu, a Catholic--has introduced a bill that would prohibit psychologists from offering minors reparative therapy for homosexuality.

“Under no circumstances shall a patient under 18 years of age undergo sexual orientation change efforts, regardless of the willingness of a patient's parent, guardian, conservator, or other person to authorize such efforts,” the bill’s text reads.

The bill would also compel adults who choose to undergo such therapy to sign a consent form stating that “having a lesbian, gay, or bisexual sexual orientation is not a mental disorder. There is no scientific evidence that any types of therapies are effective in changing a person's sexual orientation. Sexual orientation change efforts can be harmful. The risks include, but are not limited to, depression, anxiety, and self-destructive behavior.”

Stating that the bill “inaccurately represents the science,” the National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality called upon legislators to reject the measure.

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"Reparative therapy"? That is criminal,and would you want to marry some poor soul who had undergone such an ordeal? Like it or not,we have homosexuals and while we may think we know how they should live,we have not walked in their shoes.

Posted by: WBSM -
May. 01, 2012 3:48 AM ET USA

Let alone his Catholicism, his science is even worse!

Posted by: TheJournalist64 -
Apr. 30, 2012 8:17 PM ET USA

Most minors who identify themselves as "homosexual" were abused by an older man or woman. Would this bill also outlaw treating such kids for PTSD? Many of them exhibit symptoms.

Posted by: -
Apr. 30, 2012 7:38 PM ET USA

I am totally for this legislation. The reparative therapy ideas are from much earlier data and most renowned researchers in psychology will tell you that reparative therapy can be harmful. It is deceptive encouragement to try and shut one's psyche down, which simply doesn't work. There are people who engage in homosexual behavior, but do not have a homosexual orientation. That is very different from those who do have the orientation. Reparative therapy is like psychological castration.

Posted by: sarsok8679 -
Apr. 30, 2012 6:56 PM ET USA

Heck they should go all the way.. pass a law that everyone has to be a homosexual or go to re-education concentration camps, where are all the heterosexual (99% of the American population) will be sequestered. Catholic politicians are worse than Bishops Jenky's Nazis.

Posted by: rpp -
Apr. 30, 2012 3:42 PM ET USA

The phrase in the opening sentence, "Sen. Ted Lieu, a Catholic..." would be more accurate if it were to read, "Sen. Ted Lieu, who self-identifies as a Catholic..."

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